Standard connected lighting as depicted in FIG. 1 and found in the prior art, includes a plurality of bulbs 112 with two power supply lines connected thereto. A first power supply line, defined as an active line 103 provides a forward biasing electrical current in a direction toward the bulb 112. A second power supply line, defined as a neutral line 104 accommodates little to no current directed away from the bulb 112. Customary light emitting diode (LED) technology involves using individual bulbs 112 that act as housing for an antenna 114, a radio 115, a power supply 101, and a board containing LEDs defined as an LED Board 102. An LED consists of semiconducting material doped with impurities to create a p-n junction. The diode within the LED allows current to flow easily from the p-side, or anode, to the n-side, or cathode. However, current does not flow easily in the reverse direction. When forward biasing current reaches a threshold voltage, the LED emits light. In a connected lighting system, a series of LED bulbs are connected using the same active line 103 and neutral line 104 whereby the active line provides current with sufficient voltage to illuminate the LEDs on each respective bulb.
Operating connected lighting in this manner creates inefficiency. More specifically, since the power supply 101 regulates the current and electrical communication with the individual bulbs 112, it accumulates much of the wear on the bulb. Indeed, it is known in the art that power supply failure is one of the most common modes of LED bulb failure. Therefore, when the power supply 101 on the bulb 112 is no longer operable, the entire bulb 112 must be replaced. This is true for the antennae 114 and radio 115 as well. When these components become damaged over time, the entire bulb 112 must be replaced.
Another inefficiency found in modern LED connected lighting technology is that delivered current only operates one LED string within each bulb 112. This in turn only emits one color associated with that particular LED string. Therefore, should a user desire differently colored light, the entire bulb 112 must be replaced.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.